INTRODUCTION
Since many years group of commodity scientists in Poland has been making efforts to publish its own specialist scientific journal with an aim at presenting and exchanging views and also popularizing thinking pertaining to the science of commodities. These efforts have been successful. Since 2004 we have our own quarterly called " Quality Problems in Commodity Science" which is published under the auspices of the Polish Society for Commodity Science and the Committee of Commodity Sciences - Quality Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences Branch in Poznan. The Quarterly is edited in the Department of Commodity Science and Quality Sciences of the University of Technology and Humanities in Radom. The published materials are also accessible on-line which should contribute to the wider popularization of the achievements of commodity sciences not only in the scientific and economic circles but among consumers of all kinds of goods and services as well. The editors established links with the International Association of Commodity Science (IGWT) in Vienna. We intend to widen the circle of our authors, reviewers and contributors reaching out to European (and not only) commodity science environments. All articles are published in English while the abstracts are available also in Polish language. Our mission is to perfect and popularize the thinking pertaining to the science of commodities and apply it in practice in order to implement beneficial developments in economy based on knowledge to improve products and services quality in order to satisfy consumers' needs. Commodity science is an interdisciplinary subject, which is a result of the synergy of three branches of sciences, i.e. economic, technical, and natural sciences. Commodity science is perceived as a quality science as it combines elements of natural, technical and economic subjects aiming at getting to know the nature of goods which is the result of a series of operational and management processes. Modern commodity science pays particular attention to product design based on information coming from markets (both external and internal customers), and to the ability of processing these not very precisely defined requirements into technological, quality and performance parameters. Commodity science embraces the whole 'product life cycle' from the planning stage through its development, logistics and use to optimal and useful utilization and elimination of the worn out goods. Commodity science helps create the goods quality, protects them during storage, transportation and packaging. It is closely connected with marketing and sales allowing foreseeing trends as regards continuous and quality aspects of product development due to the knowledge of the nature of goods and their market. The quality assessment of goods is beside their shaping and protection the third element defining modern commodity science. For this purpose commodity scientists employ their own research methods based on senses, organoleptic and operation – usage aspects. These methods are continuously improved on the basis of statistical instruments. Modern commodity science is the science of the future. Dear Readers, we hope that you will find interesting issues there. At the same time we are aware that we cannot satisfy all the requirements as to the form and editing of the Quarterly. That is why we are open to your critical suggestions and comments. We encourage you all to read the "Polish Journal of Commodity Science" Quarterly and contribute to our publication.
Chairman of Scientific Committee
prof. dr hab. inż. Jerzy Żuchowski
